Outlook
Generalized statements, implying benevolence and good will on the part of government officials, but producing virtually no improvement in living conditions, have lost their credibility and usefulness. Our political system should earn the respect of Iranians and the international community. Thus, there is an urgent need to bring about changes to make the government more transparent, accountable and responsible for the progress of the country and the well-being of the people. One line of change would be to objectively define policies. Opportunities should be created which would lead our country towards more freedom, prosperity, empowerment and progress. All branches of the state, and especially the executive branch, need to draft well-specified policy guidelines as well as clearly defined proposals for solving our problems. I have drafted the following suggestions for the next president:
Economic Policy Proposals 1. Large-scale privatization of state-owned enterprises, especially through the stock market. 2. Deregulation as well as simplification of basic laws and regulations, especially tax, labor, and trade laws. 3. Introducing transparency to the economic institutions which act parallel to the government institutions but are not under the control of the government and bringing them under legal codes of law and accountability. 4. Facilitating foreign investment and international economic cooperation 5. Joining the WTO 6. Pursuing monetary reform and maintaining a single exchange rate. 7. Reducing the size of the public sector and creating more opportunities for private sector activity. 8. Implementing a comprehensive safety net with a social security system and health insurance. 9. Creating demand in the depressed domestic market by increasing the purchasing power of wage earners by up to a hundred percent. 10. Boosting demand for domestically manufactured goods by facilitating consumer credit. 11. Pursuing the implementation of large-scale development projects especially in the areas of railway development, highway construction and a comprehensive water resources allocation project (including water recovery, recycling, pipeline transportation and utilization projects). 12. Boosting rural income levels and standard of living and improving the rural infrastructure. 13. Minimum annual growth rate of 7.5 percent. 14. Minimum 50 percent increase of per capita income during the next four years. 15. Reduction of unemployment from 15% to 1O% by the end of next year.
Political Policy Proposals
Domestic Politics:
1. Introducing democratic reforms in the laws of political parties and local councils and eliminating the need for government permission for the establishment and activity of political parties. 2. Reforming the laws governing presidential, parliamentary and Council of Experts elections and holding these elections on the same day. 3. Adopting a policy of respecting the privacy of citizens. 4. Enhancing the independence of religious and cultural establishments. 5. Decentralization and increasing the authority of local governmental bodies. 6. Adopting a more effective campaign against the distribution of abuse of drugs. 7. Strengthening the role of the police in bringing about security and improving the living conditions of the police force, as well as bringing that force under the control of the Interior Ministry. Separating the domestic and foreign intelligence activities of the Ministry of Information, concentrating the activities mostly on foreign intelligence. 9. Drafting legal bills on freedom of information allowing citizens to gain access to confidential information collected on them at least six months prior to the time of their inquiry from the authorities. 10. Elimination of the present Clearance Offices (Gozinesh) and intelligence Centers (Herasat) from government offices and agencies in order to enhance job security and drafting substitute legal codes. 11. Facilitating travel and investment by the Iranians who live abroad.